Sure, they might be a tad unrealistic in some cases (or just completely ridiculous in others – see below) but that doesn’t make them any less entertaining to watch. The characters you’ll find in this article are five of the coolest, funniest and most entertaining TV detectives around. Have a read, have a watch, and then make sure you base your entire career and lifestyle on them (don’t). Once they feel sufficiently inspired, you can have a browse through our list of Criminology Degree courses.

The example McNulty sets in The Wire is probably not a great one to follow, but his train wreck-style investigation methods certainly makes for great viewing. And, although he’s almost constantly on the wrong side of the rules (and often the law), he still gets the job done…

If you’ve seen the recent US series The Killing, you may not know that it’s actually based on a Danish TV series of the same name. This is the series in which Sarah Lund stars, complete with a razor-sharp detective’s instinct and a slightly dodgy collection of knitwear (you wouldn’t say it to her face, though).

Time for our wildcard… okay, so Police Chief Wiggum might not be the best detective in the world, but he’s definitely one of the funniest. Seeing as all the other characters we’ve featured in this article are more of the serious and brooding sort, we thought it would be good to lighten the mood a little. Donuts, anyone?

Notable for: Being the father of Ralph Wiggum, possibly the greatest Simpsons character of all time (although that’s up for debate).

We DEFINITELY wouldn’t recommend following Dexter’s example (if you’ve seen the show, you probably be able to guess why), but anyone interested in forensics might be able to pick up a few tips from watching this blood-splatter(ed) expert in action.

If you haven’t seen any Breaking Bad yet, then you need to have a serious word with yourself. Hank Schrader may appear at first to be more like Police Chief Wiggum than any of the others in our list, but he’s actually hard as nails (you’ll find out).

Notable for: Acting tough and busting drug rings.

Feeling inspired? You should be. Now it’s time to start browsing through our list of Criminology Degree courses – do it now, before you forget!